The unions’ Secretary General (SG) in the Free State, Makholoane Moloi, tells OFM News that the union is disappointed with the development in Koffiefontein.

Sadtu made a national, heartfelt plea with residents across the country to desist from disrupting the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examination through protests.

His reaction comes as 195 matric pupils have been relocated to four places of safety after violent protests left pupils between a rock and a hard place due to the ongoing service delivery protests against the troubled Letsemeng Local Municipality.

Moloi says municipalities should also take the blame as they found themselves wanting in most instances after failing to deliver basic and quality services to disgruntled residents.

 “But again we, as the union, are calling on those who are leading municipalities and the government - we have seen that if the schools are being disrupted through violent protests, the reaction from government is much quicker than when protestors are not disrupting schools,” says Makholoane.

The Free State Education Department’s spokesperson, Howard Ndaba, told OFM News that a total of 195 matric pupils, that include 21 from Koffiefontein Combined, 51 from Diamanthoogte, 25 from Reikaeletse, and 98 from Ipetleng schools have been relocated to places of safety. Ndaba earlier Wednesday morning, said lasting solutions are being sought following violent protests in the troubled Koffiefontein.

The department is tomorrow expected to meet with different stakeholders that include School Governing Bodies (SGB), among others, in a bid to find lasting solutions with regard to the ongoing violent protests in that area. 

Moloi says the teachers union is pleased with the prompt reaction of the department in this regard.

He explains it is clear that residents have not bought in to the union's idea of calling on them not to disrupt or use the pupil's exams as a bargaining tool with the government in a bid to solicit answers for their issues that includes service delivery, among others.

Moloi adds the residents, despite their issues, need to respect and desist from disrupting pupils as they are the future leaders of tomorrow and the disruption to pupils’ exams, hampers on their progress to become leaders.

Police spokesperson, Mosili Ntsika, told OFM News that members of the Public Order Policing (POP) unit are hard at work and no-one has been arrested at this stage. He says they are maintaining their strong presence to avert any further damage or destruction to private and public properties through any act of criminality taking place in that area.

OFM News